Micro-RNA Expression of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Patients Recovered from COVID 19 Infection

Abstract

In this study, blood samples were taken from (100) leishmania-infected patients who were recovered from COVID-19 and attended Baghdad teaching Hospital, and (100) samples were also taken from healthy individuals as a control group during the period from 1st June to 1st April 2021. The results showed that the mean Leishmania IgM was (11.74±8.90) in the leishmaniasis group compared to the control group which was (0.05±0.10) with a highly significant difference, while the mean COVID IgM was (1.91±1.06) compared to the controls (0.04±0.03) with a highly significant difference. The mean Leish IgG was (8.37±8.36) in comparison with the control group (0.04±0.07), and the mean COVID IgG was (14.35±6.68) compared to the controls (0.04±0.05) with highly significant differences. The comparison between Leish IgM which was (5.77±8.94) and the control group IgM which was (6.02±8.27), and between COVID IgM which was (0.88±1.17) and the control group IgM which was (1.07±1.23) with non-significant differences. Also the comparison between Leish IgG which was (4.82±7.90) and the control IgG which was (3.60±6.46), and between COVID IgG which was (6.65±8.06) and the control group IgG which was (7.74±9.90) showed non-significant differences, while the comparison between CRP levels between the patient group (43.68±54.57) and the control group (43.43±52.19) showed no significant difference. There was a highly significant correlation between Leish IgM and CRP (p=1.000), and a highly significant correlation between COVID IgM and CRP (p=1.000). The correlation between Leish IgG and CRP showed a highly significant relationship (p=1.000), also the correlation between COVID IgG and CRP showed a highly significant relationship (p=1.000). The ROC analysis of HSV2 IgG showed a highly sensitivity (0.641) and specificity (0.807), while the COVID IgG showed a highly sensitivity (0. 971) and specificity (1.000). Also CRP showed a highly sensitivity (0.923) and specificity (0.995). Out of the (50) serum samples from infected patients 33(66.0%) had positive MicroRNA-21, while 0(0.00%) of the control group had negative MicroRNA-21.